Ghost of Time
by Fogdragon23
Summary: AU-ish Kaoru has a dream about a mysterious yet familiar samurai. Can she unravel the secrets of an old story to save him? Story Status: On hold.


**Ghost of Time**

by fogdragon23

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one but me!

Warnings: het, ghost stories, BL, AU kinda, violence, swearing, weird situations, love story material, etc.

Chapter 1: Haunting Tales

"Have you heard the legend of the waiting samurai? They say that at midnight he appears for a whole hour on the ridge there," explained the storyteller as she pointed at the mentioned ridge. She craftily smiled back at her friends, "It's a tragic love story that is opposite from most."

"You _are _lying," said one of her audience. "There's no way that a _man _would wait for a _lady _to return."

"Oh yeah," said another. She glared at him with disapproving eyes. "I bet that the lady was a warrior off to save a village."

"Nope," said the storyteller with certainty. "She was a very loving wife that cared tenderly for her illed love. The only antidote for him laid in the midland but he couldn't make the trip safely, so she sacrificed herself instead. Unfortunately, he never saw her grace this shore again."

"I wonder how far she got?" said the boy sadly.

The woman storyteller smiled at his concern. "They say that she made it to his hill then tripped and landed in the ocean."

"Creepy," said the little girl.

"Bullshit," cursed the storyteller's love. "She probably was lost at sea early on if she was a country woman."

"Maybe," shrugged the teller before snaking her arm around his back for comfort. "It's such a sad story for such a beaten man."

Her boyfriend held the back of her head gently. "We have to meet Kaoru soon, she's probably in hysterics."

"Yeah," she agreed, then looked down and the two youths. "Misao, Yahiko, wanna meet Kaoru now? You can tell her the story if you want."

"Yeah," said Misao happily.

"Sure," said Yahiko in near the same inflections. He glared at her evilly, "Stop mimicking the way I talk!"

"Hey, I spoke first! You're copying _me_!"

The two continued to fight as they left the story's site to pack into a car. They didn't stop as they buckled up and felt the car lurch into motion. "No! It's your fault that the puppy ran away, Misao!"

"Nah uh!" Misao screamed back at the top of her lungs.

"Shut up!" yelled the disgruntled boyfriend as he looked pleadingly at his pairing. "Make them stay quiet..."

The woman turned in her seat to make full eye-contact. "You guys have to get along for Kaoru, okay? I don't know how she'll take your violence."

The younger kids paused to think for a moment then humbly apologized. "Sorry, Megumi-san," they mumbled together.

Megumi put a hand to her lips to keep back her laughter at their sudden cuteness.

Her boyfriend glanced at her then back to the road. "You're growing ears, fox-lady."

"You shouldn't insult the one making supper tonight, Sanosuke-kun," she said in a sadistically sing-song voice.

He audibly gulped then pulled the car to a side. "Here we are."

Yahiko peered out the left windows to see a part of the hillside. "Why did you park down here? Now we have to climb the long stairs..."

Sanosuke shrugged off his seatbelt and clicked open his door. "In ancient times, this was a test of endurance. You should be glad to have to climb them."

"Don't count on it," breathed Yahiko as he opened his own door.

Megumi kept her eyes on the top of the stairs as she climbed. It had been awhile since she had visited the dojo that had formerly belonged to Kaoru's father. A long while. She blinked as she saw something flit to the side of the stairs. "Did you see something, Sanosuke?"

"Huh? No. Why?" he asked as he walked even to her, with his hands hidden in his coat pockets.

"It was probably nothing," she sighed in defeat.

The sound of scraping broom bristles met their ears as they neared the top. Sanosuke put a hand up to wave at his cleaning friend. "Oi, little missy!"

Kaoru paused from her sweeping of the hardwood entrance to look up. "Oh, hi guys!" Her kind smile touched the edges of her eyes and made her appear genuinely happy. Megumi knew better.

"So how is your father?" she asked, trusting it to be a good topic.

"Father's fine. He's been happy that I've been keeping this place in good condition."

Sanosuke stepped up onto the landing. "Long time no see...are you still mourning over your ex, little lady?" He carefully kept his tone light and unoffensive.

Kaoru placed a quick hand over her mouth but she couldn't help a chuckle. "Oh, Sanosuke-kun, you make the atmosphere here so much brighter."

"Well?" he prodded some more. "Are you over him or do I have to beat him up before you're satisfied?"

"There's no need for that," she waved him off. "I'm pretty sure I'm over him. He was only a crush, that's all."

"A bad crush if you ask me," commented Megumi harshly. "Do you have tea on or shall I start it?"

"Go ahead," Kaoru replied as she waited for the youths to step to the landing. "Hello you two."

Misao did her cutest wave with her right hand flailing high in the air. Yahiko just smiled and politely bowed as he came even with Kaoru. "Megumi told us a cool story," said Misao happily.

"Oh?" Kaoru questioned.

"Only, apparently not much is known about the story," mumbled Yahiko as if he was already tired of the topic. "She said that a samurai's ghost is waiting on the shore."

Kaoru seemed to pale upon hearing the statement. "Is that so?"

Misao caught the change in Kaoru. "Is there something the matter, Kaoru-san?"

"Missy, you look spooked," commented Sanosuke with slight concern threading his facial features. He took her arm in fear of her either fainting or running away.

Kaoru smiled at him weakly. "I-I thought he was just another person. I really did. He didn't seem dead..."

"What are you talking about Miss Kaoru," questioned Yahiko as he helped Sanosuke guide her into the dojo lounge.

Megumi entered from the kitchen suddenly, at hearing the door. "What happened?" She half questioned, half demanded.

Sanosuke let his girlfriend inspect her as he held her steady. "They told her about your phony ghost story and she went all pale."

"Take her to her cot, I'll deal with her there," the female doctor ordered bluntly.

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_"Kaoru-dono? Is it you?" came a tender male voice._

_"Yes!" Kaoru answered desperately to the darkness. "I'm right here!"_

_"This one fears it's too late for us," said the male voice with a tremor of sadness and guilt. "This unworthy one can't win...this one is too weak."_

_"Don't be foolish! I'm right here!" screamed Kaoru in desperation. She tried to blink away the darkness to no avail. Suddenly her foot slipped and she felt air rush past her body, ripping at her clothing. "Kenshin!" she screamed with her last breath._

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"Kenshin!" Kaoru cried as she sat straight up and nearly knocked heads with Sanosuke. She came up gasping through dry lips. "Where did he go? Kenshin!"

"Kenshin? _Our _Kenshin?" asked Sanosuke clearly surprised by the subject.

"Yes, where is he?" she asked in near panic.

Sanosuke's concern lit in his eyes as he answered sincerely, "He's probably at home by now, why?"

"I have to talk to him!"

Megumi placed her warm hands on Kaoru's shaking form. "Why would you want to associate yourself with the likes of him? You barely know each other..."

Kaoru fought against the hands that tried to direct her to her cot. "Stop it! I must speak with him, now!"

Sanosuke scratched his head in confusion. "Alright but I don't know that he'd like to be bothered..." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a cellphone. He entered the phone number and waited at the rings. A few brief seconds passed before it was picked up. "Kenshin?" he asked politely.

"Yeah," said the voice on the other end. "But I'm a little busy at the moment...what is it, Sanosuke?"

"Kaoru's acting up and she wants to talk to you."

"Really? I...I don't think I should get involved with her relationship..."

"He ditched her," snapped Sanosuke while pressing the phone close to his ear. "Listen, I don't know what this is about either. Just please talk to her."

A pause dragged out on the other end before an answer came. "Okay."

Sanosuke handed the phone to the grabby Kaoru.

Kaoru closed her eyes for small comfort as she pressed the cell to her ear. She took a short breath before starting. "I know we've never really talked but I have to know something. Have you had any weird dreams lately? I really need you to try hard to remember them..."

There was another hesitation before the same voice from the dream answered. "Kind of. Why?"

"I need you to tell me what happened in them."

"Uh...I was...in another era, I think. I was buying a new supply of rice..."

"Anything else?" she asked desperately.

"...I remember the word 'evil' was important," he continued. "But I think that's all I know."

"Nothing more?"

"No. What's this about, Kaoru-san?" Now Kenshin began to sound worried and unsure.

Kaoru's hand continued to shake even as she leaned into the phone. "I want to see you...no, I need to _show _you something. Please, I have to."

"I don't know," said the voice.

Seeing that the conversation had hit a snag, Sanosuke grabbed the phone back. "Hey, it's me. Please man, just do as she asks and maybe she'll calm down."

"Alright," Kenshin agreed with a defeated sigh.

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"So your reasoning is based on the fact that I my share a name with a samurai?" Kenshin asked Kaoru skeptically, as they had tea.

Kaoru nodded not knowing what else to say.

"What am I supposed to do with this information?" His amethyst eyes darted to hers for an explanation.

"I," started Kaoru, "I don't quite know, I'm sorry. It's just that I really needed to tell you." She placed her cup on the low table quietly. "I thought something more would happen like a trigger to something."

The redhead tilted his head in consideration before lowering his own cup. "Well, I don't think your 'trigger' tactic has worked thus far." He stood and bowed his head. "I'm very sorry but there are other more important matters I must attend to, Kaoru-dono."

The door behind him slid hastily to the side to reveal a very angry Sanosuke. "What the hell man?! Kaoru's going through a very stressful time in her life and you speak about her like she's nothing?!"

Kenshin kept his head inclined as he stepped out of the room, into the hallway.

"You are not taking off!" yelled Sanosuke. He reached out and grabbed the shoulder of Kenshin's jacket.

"Let go," the redhead warned.

"Or what?!" taunted Sanosuke. "You're going to call your cute little yakuza buddies to finish me off?"

"Leave Aoshi out of this," Kenshin hissed. He bolted for the entrance and nearly fell down the lengthy stairs. He caught himself at the top and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey bastard! Stand still so I can pummel you into the ground," Sanosuke cried after him. He was making toward the stairs at a decent pace that wouldn't carry him off the long walkway. Once he braked he displayed his fists menacingly. "I will not let you hurt Kaoru like this!"

Kenshin did not turn to look at his possible enemy. Tresses of auburn floated in the wind as a gentle breeze ruffled past him. "Kaoru-dono is merely ill. Her problems are really none of my concern. Goodbye, Sanosuke." With that said he proceeded to descend the many stairs at a slow, concentrated walking pace.

The brawler relaxed his arms, in defeat. "I shouldn't worry myself over people like him anyway..."

Yahiko padded toward him quickly. "I heard some yelling, what's up?"

"Nothing," Sanosuke said with gritted teeth.

"Are you sure? With a face like that, I'd say something's up," the younger boy commented.

Sanosuke wrestled him into a headlock. "What's that about my face?"

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Review plz!

TBC...


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